CO-OP FARM TOUR & DRIFTLESS GROWN VENDOR FAIR
JOIN US FOR A DAY AT HOCH ORCHARD AND BLUE FRUIT FARM!
Plan the perfect summer day trip that combines exploring, learning, and eating locally grown food! The Co-op Farm Tour is a unique opportunity to visit farms in your area, meet the farmers who bring fresh food to your table, and inspire one another to support our local, sustainable food system. This Saturday, July 10, from 10:00am-4:00pm, several area farms will open their gates to the public to share this experience with you. The tour is a self-guided event with activities and demonstrations as well as on-farm activities, such as u-pick berries - and FREE for anyone to attend,
Driftless Grown is excited to be partnering with the Co-op Farm Tour and is organizing a Driftless Grown Vendor Fair at two locations on the tour's southeast Minnesota loop: Blue Fruit Farm and Hoch Orchard & Gardens. Please note: With our rural area’s notoriously spotty internet/cell service, our vendor fair will be a cash/check-preferred event.
: : : ABOUT OUR HOSTS : : :
Blue Fruit Farm
31762 WISCOY RIDGE RD, WINONA, MN 55987
Blue Fruit Farm is a certified organic perennial fruit farm, featuring delicious, nutrient-dense blueberries, black currants, honeyberries, aronia, elderberries and plums. Hourly tours begin at 10 am. U-pick will be open from 10:00am until 1:00pm, by reservation only, and Rubio's Taco Truck will be on site serving up some delicious food. Join us for a fun and fruit-filled day on the farm featuring several special guests:
11:00AM – 2:00PM
The lead author of the Minnesota Farmers Union new book, The Farmer and the Chef, Claudine Arndt, and photographer Katie Cannon are on site to sell and sign books, which feature engaging stories, delicious recipes and stunning photos from Minnesota farms and restaurants.
1:00PM – 2:00PM
UMN Extension Fruit Specialist, Annie Klodd, will speak about organic fruit management.
3:00PM
Ariel Pressman of the Real Organic Project will lead a discussion about the organic practices and their work.
Hoch Orchard & Gardens
32553 FORESTER RD, LA CRESCENT, MN 55947
Hoch Orchard and Gardens is a 94 acre diversified organic and biodynamic farm with an on farm hard cidery. They have over fifty apple varieties, plus two acres of wine grapes, various berries, tree fruits, and pastured-pork. They will be sampling their brats, hard cider, and apple cider which will also be available for purchase.
Farm tours begin at:
11:00AM, 1:00PM, & 3:00PM
10:00AM – 4:00PM
U-pick raspberries and strawberries
Driftless Grown Vendor Fair
10:00AM - 4:00PM
Meet more farmers with fewer stops when your attend the Driftless Grown Vendor Fair!
With only 30 miles separating Blue Fruit Farm and Hoch Orchard, travel between them is quick and easy! Driftless Grown vendors will be setup at both locations with a variety of products made right here in the Driftless region:
: : : MEET OUR BLUE FRUIT FARM VENDORS : : :
Handmade Wooden Toys and Gifts
Inspired by the whimsy and joy that children find in unexpected places and objects. Using scraps from prime Minnesota hardwoods (black walnut, red oak, cherry) Bookah and Bean creates items that invite pause and playfulness, capturing those elusive feelings in wood and encouraging you to unveil your creativity.
Coffee, Cold Brew Coffee and Whole Bean Coffee
Carlson Roasting is a small batch artisan coffee roasting company that focuses on Fair Trade and sustainable coffees.
Pastured Chickens
Hilltop Farm raises pastured chickens on a Mississippi River bluff just north of the Minnesota/Iowa border. A third-generation farm, they've gone from diversified to dairy and are headed back again, with the benefit of hindsight and new practices. They want to do right by thier land and themselves as they move forward.
Skirted Fleeces, Rovings, Preserves, and Photo-op with Babydoll Lambs!
Come meet the personable Babydoll sheep who are the center of Prairie Plum Farm! They manage the vegetation in the pastures and orchards, and produce lovely wool for spinning, felting, and stuffing into items. Fruits from the orchard and hazelnut planting are made into preserves, ciders, and baked goods
Handmade Work Wear - Farm/Forage Inspired
Modern workwear and functional items for your life - inspired by a love of simple design and the practice of quilting.
Handcrafted Bouquets
Bringing joy - lovinlgy, locally grown handcrafted bouquets, sustainably grown in southeast Minnesota.
: : : MEET OUR HOCH ORCHARD VENDORS : : :
Farmstead Goat Cheese
A girl and her goats in SE Minnesota, making delicious aged goat cheeses right on the farm. Small, hand crafted batches. Unique, raw milk cheeses.
Flowers and Flower Crowns
A micro flower farm selling single stems for building your own bouquet along with ready made bouquets.
Fresh Produce, Farm Fresh Eggs, Canned Goods, and Baked Goods
Pheasant Ridge Farm sells fresh produce grown using organic practices. They also raise pastured poultry and pork, as well as eggs from free range hens.
Grass Fed Beef, Pork, Chicken, and Eggs
Jordan, Rachelle, & their 5 kids all farm together in Caledonia. To provide for their family and community, they focus on quality, honestly raised animals: 100% grass fed beef and goat, pastured pork, chicken, and eggs from free range chickens.
: : : DRIVING DIRECTIONS : : :
START: Blue Fruit Farm
LEFT on Wiscoy Ridge Road
RIGHT on County Hwy 17
RIGHT on County Hwy 12
RIGHT onto MN-76 S
LEFT to merge onto I-90 E (La Crosse)
Take exit 267 E for County Hwy 12 (Nodine)
RIGHT onto Co County 12
LEFT to stay on Co Hwy 12
RIGHT onto Co Hwy 16
LEFT to stay on Co Hwy 16
RIGHT onto Forster Rd
END: Hoch Orchard and Gardens: 32553 Forster Rd, La Crescent, MN
START: Hoch Orchard and Gardens
LEFT onto Forster Rd
LEFT to stay on Co Hwy 16
RIGHT onto Co Hwy 16
LEFT onto Co County 12
RIGHT to stay on Co Hwy 12
LEFT to merge onto I-90 W (Austin)
Take exit 257 E for County Hwy 12 (Houston)
RIGHT onto MN-76 S
LEFT on County Hwy 12
LEFT on County Hwy 17
LEFT on Wiscoy Ridge Road
END: Blue Fruit Farm: 31762 Wiscoy Ridge Rd, Winona, MN 55987
COVID-19 Precautions: Though mask mandates have lifted, please respect the farmers’ preferences when you visit their farms. Bring a mask for everyone in your party, and have it handy in case you’re asked to mask-up by farm staff or volunteers of the farm tour. Thank you for being respectful of the farmers who are opening their farms to the public. All farms on the tour have committed to adhering to federal, state, and CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19 in place at the time of the tour.
CO-OP FARM TOUR
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THE REAL FOOD
The Co-op Farm Tour is a unique opportunity to explore the farms in your area, to connect with the families that bring fresh food to your table, and to inspire one another to support our local, sustainable food system. This is a self-guided event and free for anyone to attend, brought to you by your local MN food co-ops.
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